Kevin's Watch

Nintendo DS primer

A Nintendo DS was on display at the local Wal-Mart, and I must say I was impressed. The system comes with a demo of Metroid Prime: Hunters, which is sort of a multi-player Metroid Prime. All you need to play is one cartirdge, and everyone you're playing also has to have a DS (obviously). The multiplayer action is wireless, so when you connect with your buddies, they can download the Metroid Prime software, thus elminating the need for said cartridge. Pretty cool!

Anyway, the DS blew me away; the screen was sharp and small enough to make the graphics look like GameCube quality (look, mind you; the game actually has a little more power than the Nintendo 64).

My only grief was that it was kind of hard to control the Metroid demo that came with the game; you had to use a stylus pen and actually drag it over the screen to move your weapon and then tap the screen with the pen to fire. There are other control schemes to choose from, though, but I didn't have time to fiddle with it.

So, despite the control issue, DS was major fun. I'm thinking about getting it, but might wait a while to see the public/critical reaction (and maybe a price drop). Then again, the thought of playing Super Mario 64 on a portable has me slavering!

Yeah, that sounds great. That's the double screen one..right? I think the verdict's still out on that one... how did you like it? Was it done well?

JemCheeta wrote:Yeah, that sounds great. That's the double screen one..right? I think the verdict's still out on that one... how did you like it? Was it done well?

It might be kind of gimmicky, but it has some uses, such as one screen being the radar (in the Metroid game for instance) and the other screen being the actual game. A ton of other uses, but my head aches from thinking about listing them all, heh. Also, the launch titles for DS are pretty crappy, but Mario 64 is worth picking up.

Time for a revival. I'm still operating on GBA at the moment, but I'm considering a DS. Anyone willing to tell me if it's worth shelling out the cash?

I've been pretty impressed with the DS. It's a fun little system. And it has a pretty good library of games now, so you're sure to find something you like.-jay

The DS does have the bonus of enabling me to shout "OBJECTION!" while sitting on the bus.

Heh, ya know, I've never played that game, but I really, really, want to try it sometime. It looks really interesting.-jay

The system definitely has an AAA library. I own Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and New Super Mario Bros. There's also Mario Kart DS, which I don't currently own but have played extensively.

I also have the GBA version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which is my favorite game.

Games I'm hopeful for:

Contra 4 (supposedly the first good Contra since Contra III)
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (very addictive turn-based strategy)
Final Fantasy IV (a remake of the SNES classic)
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (the sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)
Dragon Quest IX (the first DQ made for a handheld)
Sonic RPG (yes, a Sonic RPG--made by BioWare!)

Ok, the Bioware Sonic RPG alone is almost enough to make me rush out and buy a DS. My mind is boggling at the prospect of Sonic (great) being in an RPG (can be great) made by Bioware (genius...es....es........)

Lord Foul wrote:The system definitely has an AAA library. I own Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and New Super Mario Bros. There's also Mario Kart DS, which I don't currently own but have played extensively.

I also have the GBA version of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which is my favorite game.

Games I'm hopeful for:

Contra 4 (supposedly the first good Contra since Contra III)
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (very addictive turn-based strategy)
Final Fantasy IV (a remake of the SNES classic)
Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (the sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance)
Dragon Quest IX (the first DQ made for a handheld)
Sonic RPG (yes, a Sonic RPG--made by BioWare!)

You need phoenix wright on that list

Meh, text-based adventures never do it for me. I like text-heavy games (Planescape: Torment is perhaps the most text-heavy game ever, and I've played it twice), but they have to have some action.

I read that the first Pheonix Wright was promising, but the sequels were more of the same.

Yeah, the DS is the last word in handhelds, and has a library of SNES quality. Just amazing. Sonic Bioware RPG? I had no idea.

Ordered my DS Lite Bioware Sonic sold me on it.

My DS has arrived, complete with free game - unfortunately, they've inexplicably sent me Crash Bandicoot.

Crash bandicoot? They still MAKE that game!!?? O,o

Apparently so

Hey, hey.

Just going to put this out there. Crash Bash beats the PANTS off of the mario party games. No stupid board meta-game, and while there is a smaller variety of minigames they are a lot more fun.

I almost bought Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, but then I learned it was by the same guy who made Final Fantasy X-2, which wasn't my cup of tea. I also read that Revenant has RTS elements but nothing as refined as American RTS.

I've also changed my "most wanted" list:

Final Fantasy IV (this remake will be more faithful to Yoshitaka Amano's concept art, and it will reintroduce two-thirds of the original script, which was cut from the SNES version. I've also never played this classic, so it has my slavering.)
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Dragon Quest IX
Sonic RPG

I've nixed Contra 4 and Final Fantasy Tactics A2. Both games are solid but do little to advance their respective series--just more of the same. Plus, Advance Wars: Days of Ruin sounds more interesting than a sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, simply because Days or Ruin will feature a dark, post-apocalyptic storyline, whereas Tactics Advance is light in tone and plot.

Ah...I wish I hadn't read this thread. Now I want one of these too. I love Advanced Wars and am STILL playing 1&2 on the GBA. And dammit, I like FF Tactics, so that might be a bigger reason for me to get one. I just hope it is more entertaining than the last one. The original FF Tactics on the Playstation 1 was superior, but still, I'll take another.

I've been busy with Phoenix Wright 2 for the last few days. Objecting is fun.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow has just arrived too, though I haven't played it yet.

I've hidden my Crash, for it makes me weep.